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Men, let's talk about depression, panic attacks, mental health and suicide. As men, we don't talk about these things. And we need to. NBA's Kevin Love & DeMar DeRozan have done us a great favor by writing and talking about their panic attacks and depression this past month. I'll link to their articles below, along with some other important resources for men regarding mental health and self care below too.

Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love wrote a blog post earlier this week titled Everyone is Going Through Something, where he details his recent panic attack on the court and his subsequent work with a therapist. Here is a terrific quote from his post: "Everyone is going through something that we can’t see. The thing is, because we can’t see it, we don’t know who’s going through what and we don’t know when and we don’t always know why. Mental health is an invisible thing, but it touches all of us at some point or another. It’s part of life." Please take the time to read Kevin Love's blog post in full at this link. Then check out DeMar DeRozan's interview about depression below.

Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan tweeted on February 17, 2018 at 3:00 a.m. in the morning as he was in Los Angeles for the NBA All-Star game: "This depression get the best of me..." What followed this tweet was a wave of support for DeMar. He shared in an interview: “It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day,” the 28-year-old Raptors all-star said. “We all got feelings . . . all of that. Sometimes . . . it gets the best of you, where times everything in the whole world’s on top of you." Read more at this link. Then check out the Man Therapy link below.

Kevin and DeMar's openness inspired me to finally write this blog post about men's mental health. Unfortunately I've known too many men friends who have taken their own lives. I want to share with men that you don't have to go through mental health challenges or addiction or loneliness on your own. There are resources out there. One great resource to explore is a website called Man Therapy, which I encourage men to spend some time on now at this link: www.mantherapy.org

Men (and women) if you ever feel like you're even starting to think about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 and visit their website at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

I'll close this blog post by simply encouraging men to not try to do life on your own, particularly when times get tough. Connect with friends. See a therapist as needed. We cannot do life on our own. We need community. We need each other. Keep going! Don't give up!

Happy New Year! It is now January 2018, which is the ideal month to set goals for the year ahead. Have you set your 2018 goals yet? I'll share 10 goal setting tips below, including the simple and very effective "one word for the year" strategy (tip #9).

First, let me share that I prefer the concept of goals better than resolutions. Resolutions seem like more of a wish or promise, whereas goals have a definite purpose that can be backed up with plans. If you prefer the term resolutions, great. In either case, make sure you write down your goals or resolutions this week, and then review them at least weekly in 2018. Reviewing your goals daily is even better, if possible.

Goals are a great way to distill your hopes and dreams into a few concrete focal points for 2018. I find it helpful to put goals into categories or values, which can then be prioritized. I also believe that "less is more" when it comes to goal setting. If you have just 3 goals for 2018 and achieve them, that is much better than having 25 goals and achieving none of them. Less is more.

Below are my top 10 goal setting tips, which I encourage you to use as they suit your needs:

Write down your values. What is most important to you in life? Family, health, faith, career, community, friends, education, etc.? Write down somewhere between 3 to 10 values. Again, less is more.

Prioritize your values. Based on the values you wrote down in step #1 above, prioritize them. Which value is the top priority for you? #2? And so on. Then, as you make decisions in your daily life, make sure a lower priority never eclipses a higher priority. For example, if family is a higher priority than friends, then maybe you should not be hanging out with X, Y, Z friend all of the time, but should be spending that time with your family. Of course, you probably do want to see friends too. Just make sure the balance leans toward the priorities in your life.

Write down 1 to 2 goals for each value. Based on your prioritized values in step #2 above, write down 1 to 2 goals for each value for 2018. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic and Time-based. Also, Michael Hyatt has a great book titled Your Best Year Ever that advocates for SMARTER goals, which you can learn more about here.

Develop brief action plans to achieve each goal. Writing down goals in step #3 above is great and will likely give you some good results. However, you'll get much better results if you write down a brief action plan for each goal. Write down the steps will you need to take to achieve each goal.

Take one step toward each goal today! It can be a small step. But just take a step on each of your goals today or tomorrow at the latest. Get momentum going. Step by step will get you to your goal.

Review your goals at least weekly. Make time to review your goals weekly. Sunday afternoon can be a great time to do this review. Ideally, write down your goals on paper again weekly. This really helps cement your goals into your subconscious mind. If you can review your goals daily, even better.

Allow your goals to evolve over the course of the year. You'll achieve goals as the year progresses, which then may naturally create some new goals for you. Or, you'll pivot away from some goals that you thought were important early in the year that aren't so important after all. Don't worry about your goals changing. This is normal. Often, when doing your weekly review in step #6 above, you'll notice your goals are evolving.

Find a Goal Buddy. It is a very good idea to find someone you can share your goals with and who can help keep you accountable. Ideally they'll have goals they can share with you too. I have seen many friends lose weight or read books based on doing the activity together with others.

Find your "One Word" for 2018. If the 8 points above seem too cumbersome to you, don't worry. You're not alone. Let me encourage you to at least identify "one word" for 2018 that can be your guiding intention or goal for the year. For example, in 2017 I determined my one word would be "health" and I ended up dropping 20 pounds in 2017. In 2018 my one word is "writer" and so I've launched this blog. What might your "one word" be for 2018? Take some time to think about it. Come up with a strong word and let it guide your actions daily in 2018.

Lastly, here are a few resources to further fuel your goal setting in 2018:

Way of Life is a terrific App for your phone to help track your daily habits. You give yourself green check marks when you do a habit, and red X's when you don't. It sounds simple, which it is, and it works! Check it out here: http://wayoflifeapp.com/

It is not rocket science to set and achieve goals, but it does take intent and discipline. What advice on goal setting am I missing or what questions do you have? Please share your goal setting tips in the comments section below. Also, please share this post with your network. Thanks!

January 2019 Update: I've learned even more about my health since this original post, below, from January 2018. Here are 3 new insights:

1. It is one thing to lose weight and quite another thing to keep it off! After successfully dropping 20 pounds in 2017, I gained back about 5 pounds in 2018. Fortunately it wasn't more gained back. I've learned it is important to not do a "crash diet" but we should build healthy habits that are sustainable over time.

2. Eat Organic versions of food whenever possible. I read an incredibly helpful book in 2018 that I heartily recommend to you: Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?by Dr. Mark Hyman. This is the best nutrition book I have ever read! And trust me, I've read a lot of them. My big takeaway from this book is that Organic foods are so much healthier for you than non-Organic foods, for a myriad of reasons. Read this book to get the details. Yes, Organic will cost you more, but I believe your health is worth the extra investment.

3. Food is Medicine. This ties into point #2 above. Dr. Mark Hyman in his book says that the food we eat can indeed either heal us or break us down. I believe this to be true. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates famously said, "Let Food be Thy Medicine, and Medicine be Thy Food." Again, read Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? for more on this point. Okay, onto the original post below!

Original Post from January 2018: On January 1, 2017 I set in my mind a one-word intention/goal/prayer for the year that I focused on daily: "health." And I lost 20 pounds over the course of a year, after not being successful in dropping any weight over the past 10 years. In 2017 I also dropped my bad LDL cholesterol from high to normal range naturally without statins/meds. I was motivated to embark on this health journey in due to several friends having heart attacks at young ages in 2016 and also seeing a photo of myself where my face looked bloated. I want to live a long and healthy life for my family.

Below are 10 tips from my health journey this past year. I hope these tips might serve as some inspiration if you want to go on a health journey in 2018.

1. Diet. "You can't out-exercise a bad diet." A friend of mine got in terrific shape a few years ago. I asked him what his secret was for weight loss. He said, "Mike, it's 80% Diet and 20% Exercise. Focus primarily on healthy eating and you'll lose the weight." He was absolutely right. I often ran 3 to 6 miles daily over the past 10 years, and didn't lose weight because I was eating terribly. In 2017 I didn't "diet" but focused on building healthy eating habits. Focus on your diet first.

2. Exercise. 150+ minutes of high intensity cardio weekly and strength training. Cardio has so many benefits, including: mood, cardiovascular health, brain heath, and, yes, weight loss. Make sure you're moving. A lot. Every day. Also, I started lifting weights again in 2017, after a 10+ years hiatus. The older we get, the more important maintaining and even building muscle is for us. Lift heavy weights regularly.

3. Sleep. 7+ hours nightly. This perhaps should be #1 in this list. I have found that when I get 7+ hours of solid sleep that I am much more likely to eat healthy and exercise. And if I sleep less than 7 hours then I'm more likely to look to sugar or processed carbs for energy, which is a downward spiral. I also am less likely to want to exercise. Sleep is so critical to our health.

4. Fitbit. 10,000+ steps daily. Track your calories, steps, sleep, and weight daily. I don't think I would have lost 20 pounds without the Fitbit Charge 2. Fitbit's now track your sleep cycles, including REM, Deep, Light & Awake time. This has absolutely improved my sleep habits. Participating in the Fitbit app's weekly step challenges motivates me to get 10,000+ steps in daily. You can also input your food/calories into the Fitbit app.

5. "Eat a salad for every meal." This is terrific advice from Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I eat a salad as my main course for nearly every dinner and lunch. For breakfast I try to keep the food healthy: eggs, almonds, blueberries and, yes, sometimes Wild Planet Sardines. :) I also start each morning drinking Athletic Greens nutrient rich powder, which has definitely helped my immunity system in 2017.

6. "Don't drink your calories." I generally stopped drinking sugary drinks and beer, which can be high in carbs and calories. I limit drinking "healthy" smoothies. They often have a lot of calories. I try to drink 100 ounces of water daily. Water is so critical for our body's health. I now primarily drink Mountain Valley Spring Water, which Deep Rock delivers in 5 gallon glass bottles. I do have some concerns on fluoride, chlorine, and other contaminants in our drinking water, even at very low levels.

7. Cut back on sugar. Dramatically. I have a sweet tooth and still eat sugar occasionally. But I have dialed back dramatically the amount and regularity of candy that I used to eat - Starbursts and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups being my big temptations. I couldn't have dropped my bad LDL cholesterol from high to normal range without cutting way back on sugar. Too much sugar is bad for your heart, teeth, complexion and the list goes on. Dial it back.

8. "Don't Worry, Be Happy." Manage your stress. Stress and worry are silent killers in our minds and bodies. They want to steal your health and your joy. Don't let them. Find ways to manage your stress through daily routines and rituals. It might be prayer or meditation or journaling or exercising or spending quality time with your family and friends or not overworking yourself. Make stress management a priority.

9. Set your health goals daily. And be kind to yourself. Losing weight and getting healthy is a life long journey. But it's more so a daily journey. And really a moment to moment journey. I have found that writing down my annual health goals is very helpful. Even more helpful is writing down my daily health goals. Plan out your food choices, exercise and sleep each day. You'll have a better chance of achieving your health goals if you write down your plans. However, please please be kind to yourself when you fall short of your goals. You will. I do. Often. Just keep your momentum and focus going in the right direction and don't overreact if you eat something you wish you hadn't or you didn't get enough sleep. Be kind to yourself. Be resilient. And keep going.

Happy New Year! It is now January 2017, which is a terrific time to set goals for the year ahead. (Please post up your goal-setting tips in the comments section below.)

First, let me say that I prefer the concept of goals over resolutions. Resolutions seem like more of a wish or promise, whereas goals have a definite purpose that can be backed up with plans. If you prefer the term resolutions, great. In either case, make sure you write down your goals or resolutions this week, and then review them at least weekly in 2017. Reviewing your goals daily is even better, if possible.

Goals are a great way to distill your hopes and dreams into a few concrete focal points for 2017. I find it helpful to put goals into categories or values, which can then be prioritized. I also believe that "less is more" when it comes to goal setting. If you have just 3 goals for 2017 and achieve them, that is much better than having 25 goals and achieving none of them. Less is more.

Below is my quick goal setting process, which you are welcome to utilize or edit to suit your needs:

Write down your values. What is most important to you in life? Family, health, faith, career, community, friends, education, etc.? Write down somewhere between 3 to 10 values. Again, less is more.

Prioritize your values. Based on the values you wrote down in step #1 above, prioritize them. Which value is the top priority for you? #2? And so on. Then, as you make decisions in your daily life, make sure a lower priority never eclipses a higher priority. For example, if family is a higher priority than friends, then maybe you should not be hanging out with X, Y, Z friend all of the time, but should be spending that time with your family. Of course, you do need to see friends too. Just make sure the balance leans toward the priorities in your life.

Write down 1 to 2 goals for each value. Based on your prioritized values in step #2 above, write down 1 to 2 goals for each value for 2017. Goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic and Time-based.

Develop brief action plans to achieve each goal. Writing down goals in step #3 above is great and will likely give you some good results. However, you'll get much better results if you write down a brief action plan for each goal. Write down what steps will you need to take to achieve each goal?

Take one step toward each goal today! It can be a small step. But just take a step on each of your goals today or tomorrow at the latest. Get momentum going. Step by step will get you to your goal!

Review your goals at least weekly. Make time to review your goals weekly. Ideally, write down your goals on paper again weekly. This really helps cement your goals into your subconscious mind. If you can review your goals daily, even better.

Allow your goals to evolve over the course of the year. You'll achieve goals as the year progresses, which then may naturally create some new goals for you. Or, you'll pivot away from some goals that you thought were important early in the year that aren't so important after all. Don't worry about your goals changing. This is normal. Often, when doing your weekly review in step #6 above, you'll notice your goals are evolving.

Find a Goal Buddy. It is a very good idea to find someone you can share your goals with and who can help keep you accountable. Ideally they'll have goals they can share with you too. I have seen many friends lose weight based on doing it together with others, for example.

These are my quick thoughts on goal setting. It is not rocket science to set and achieve goals, but it does take discipline. Writing down your goals and reviewing them at least weekly is a key to success. What advice am I missing? Please post up your goal setting tips in the comments section below - thanks!

Below are a few resources to fuel your goal setting and habit setting:

The book Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want -- Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible by Brian Tracy is the goal setting 101 book that you should read and implement its advice. You can pick up the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1605094110/

An incredible book for setting and implementing goals for a team at work is The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goalsby Chris McChesney. Pick this book up here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/145162705X/

Way of Life is an incredible App for your phone to help track your daily habits! I just started using this App recently and it has been very helpful. You give yourself green check marks when you do a habit, and red X's when you don't. It sounds simple, which it is, and it works! Check it out here: http://wayoflifeapp.com/

I hope this post has been helpful for you? Please share this post with your network. Also, please post up in the comments below any goal setting books or Apps or tips that you utilize? Thanks! And Happy New Year!